Harry Potter and the Secret of the Forest
by juliarachel
Summary: Well... most of you have read this.... I think... Just read it
1. One

The Flying Lesson  
  
The thunder roared outside, and rain beat against the glass windows of Harry Potter's bedroom. This summer was probably the most miserable out of all the rest; he hadn't received an invitation to the Burrow, where his friend, Ron Weasley, lived. Instead, Harry was locked in this prison-of-a- house due to his Uncle Vernon's orders. Ever since an incident that happened only a few weeks ago, Harry had been ignored but his Uncle, Aunt, and cousin.  
  
Harry sat at the small table, which was placed in the petit room. The only light that kept the room lighted was placed beside his twin-sized bed. His pet owl, Hedwig, was perched in her cage, which was placed on the bureau. A large leather-covered book was spread open on the desk, which Harry read in order to finish his summer work for school. Harry Potter isn't what you would call a normal sixteen-year-old boy. A secret was kept within this house that only they knew about; magic lived under their roof. A well-known teenager who defeated the most feared wizard when he was only an infant lived there. Harry Potter.  
  
A loud crack outside told Harry that a tree (or something of the sort) had fallen, due to this terrible storm that had started early that morning. "Harry Potter!" His Uncle called from downstairs.  
  
"dn," Harry muttered under his breath. He tabbed the page he was on and headed downstairs, only to see a purple-faced Uncle Vernon holding a small envelope in his very beefy left hand.  
  
"What is this?!" He spat.  
  
"I don't know! Honestly, I haven't gotten any letters! My friends are probably asking to see if I would like to spend the rest of the summer holidays with them instead of staying here," said Harry innocently.  
  
Uncle Vernon thrust the letter into Harry's hands. "OPEN IT!" He demanded.  
  
Harry did as he was told. He opened the letter, unfolded the sheet of paper, and read:  
  
"Harry-  
  
Happy Birthday! I hope those Muggles are treating you all right. I asked Mum and Dad if you were allowed to stay the rest of the summer holidays. They said it was all right as long as it was okay with the Dursleys. If you're able to, please send a letter back with Hedwig; Pig isn't doing to well. I look forward to seeing you!  
  
-Ron"  
  
"There, are you happy??" asked Harry impatiently.  
  
Uncle Vernon gave him a look that would have scared anybody. "Those freaks want you at their place of residence for the rest of the summer??"  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"Then go and pack. And who's this Hedwig thing anyways??" Asked Vernon.  
  
Harry looked at him, amazed. "That would be the pidgin," he said rudely.  
  
"Don't be smart with me, boy. And you'd better send that letter tonight, when everyone on this street is asleep. I don't want anyone knowing that we're housing an abnormal child!" said Vernon, spraying Harry with spit.  
  
Harry nodded and hurried upstairs, wiping his saliva splattered glasses on his tee shirt. He quickly scribbled a note back to Ron saying that he would be able to come. Harry unhooked the latch to Hedwig's cage and attached the note to her foot. "I know you don't want to go out in this weather, but you must. If you don't, we won't be able to get out of this place," Harry whispered to her. She reluctantly got out of her cage and hopped onto his left wrist. After opening the window to his bedroom, Harry let her fly outside into the uninviting rain. A gust of wind came into the room and rattled everything.  
  
"CLOSE THAT dn WINDOW!" Yelled Uncle Vernon from outside Harry's bedroom door. Harry latched the window, placed Hedwig's empty cage into the small armoire, and sat back down at the table where he was positioned before. He brushed a few hairs out of his eyes, not being able to tame it. Harry opened the book again and continued his Potions assignment. Before long, Harry's eyes began to droop, being sleep deprived. He closed the large book, placed his glasses on his bedside table, and crawled into bed, without bothering to take his clothes off.  
  
¦·-·¦  
  
The next morning, Harry awoke to a tapping at his bedroom window. Hedwig had returned, and there was a letter attached to her left foot. Harry pushed his glasses up onto his nose and got up to let her inside. The rain had stopped, and the sun shone brightly into Harry's eyes. He detached the letter and opened it:  
  
Harry-  
  
Dad and I'll come around at about eleven thirty this morning. Pack your stuff quickly. We'll be arriving by Floo Powder.  
  
-Ron  
  
Harry did so as quickly as he could. He pulled his half-empty trunk out from under his bed and started throwing the rest of his belongings into it. Harry always hated Floo Powder, but he decided he had better be getting used to it. Within fifteen minutes, Harry was ready to go; but unfortunately for him, Ron and Mr Weasley wouldn't be arriving for another two hours.  
  
Harry walked downstairs, only to find the three Dursleys to be eating breakfast. "Sit down, boy," his Uncle grunted, pointing to the fourth and empty chair. Harry did so while Aunt Petunia gave him a plate of food. "Did that boy reply??" Vernon asked, his mouth filled with food.  
  
"Yes, Uncle Vernon. And he said that he and his father would be coming at approximately eleven thirty," Harry answered.  
  
"Oh good. You'll be out of the house before Marge arrives," Vernon muttered. Harry couldn't believe what he had heard. Marge. As in Aunt Marge. She was by far the worst person Harry had ever met, well, at least after Snape; the Potions Master at Hogwarts. Three years before, Harry had accidentally blown her up, literally, and has never heard of her since.  
  
"It'll be wonderful to see her again. After what happened, I thought that she would never come back. But now that he'll be out of the house, there's nothing to worry about!" said Petunia shrilly.  
  
Harry rolled his eyes. Dudley was busy watching cartoons on the small television set which was placed one and a half feet in front of his porky face. 'If someone set his trousers on fire, he still wouldn't notice,' Harry thought. He laughed mentally. He ate his breakfast slowly, hoping to make the hours pass more quickly.  
  
Much to Harry's disliking, time passed very slowly, making it feel like centuries had passed. Eleven twenty arrived reluctantly, and Harry went upstairs to retrieve Hedwig and his trunk. Once picking up Hedwig's cage, a large crash sounded from downstairs, informing Harry that Ron had indeed arrived. He quickly grabbed his trunk and dragged it downstairs. Sure enough, there stood his tall, gangly, red haired friend. "Ah! Harry, good to see you again!" Said Ron's father, Mr Weasley. "No time for chatting, we'd better hurry, we left Hermione with Molly." Mr Weasley took Harry's trunk and Hedwig. "Here you are, Harry. Just quickly get to our house," Mr Weasley continued, handing Harry a pouch filled with Floo Powder. Harry nodded, and stepped into the extended fireplace.  
  
"THE BURROW!" He yelled, and he saw himself being devoured by green flames. In an instant, Harry was standing in the Wesley's kitchen.  
  
"Harry, dear, how wonderful to see you again!" Said Mrs Weasley, embracing him in a welcoming hug. Hermione got her chance too, and kissed his right cheek.  
  
"Good to see you, Hermione," said Harry, smiling, a bit red from what happened.  
  
"Good to see you too," Hermione replied, redder than Harry. Ginny walked down the stairs, wearing a pair of old, baggy jeans and a black tee shirt.  
  
"Hey, Ginny," Said Harry.  
  
Ginny turned and smiled, her flaming red hair flipping in the process. "Harry! It's great to see you!" she said, throwing her arms around him. Harry felt, to tell all you readers the truth, a bit awkward. Ginny had had the world's biggest crush on him for the past five years, up until she started liking someone else. Hermione had to pry Ginny off him. "Sorry, just a bit too happy I guess," Ginny muttered. Ron reappeared in the fireplace.  
  
"C'mon Harry, let's put your things up in my room. Hermione, you can come up too," said Ron, starting to walk upstairs. Harry and Hermione followed Ron up to his room, where they decided to talk. "So how has your summer been??" Ron asked, sitting down on his bed.  
  
"To tell you the truth, it's been really quiet. Nothing's really happened so far," said Harry truthfully.  
  
"Harry, we were planning on going to Diagon Alley tomorrow, if that's all right," said Hermione quietly.  
  
"I don't want to mess anyone's plans up. I'm looking forward to it," Harry responded. A knock sounded from outside Ron's bedroom door.  
  
"Yeah?" Ron called.  
  
"Can I come in??" said Ginny's sweet voice. Ron let out a sigh.  
  
"Sure...." said Ron, a little disappointed. Ginny walked in and shut the door behind her. She sat on the floor beside Harry. "Anyways, what were we saying??"  
  
"Well, Ron, I thought that was a closing statement," Harry joked.  
  
"Harry's right, that was pretty much the end of that topic," Hermione agreed.  
  
"It's because of me, isn't it??" Ginny piped in.  
  
"No, why would anything be because of you. We are simply blanking on something to talk about," said Harry, now facing Ginny.  
  
"Exactly. Is there anything you want to say, Gin??" asked Hermione, trying to get her friend into their conversation.  
  
"Not exactly...." There was an ugly silence, and then, "If we had more people here, this would be a great time to play Truth or Dare or something like that."  
  
"Ginny!" said Hermione, Harry and Ron all at the same moment. She laughed.  
  
"Sorry, I couldn't resist," said Ginny, turning red in the cheeks. Hermione shook her head, a smile on her face.  
  
"You know, that's not entirely a bad idea...." Hermione agreed.  
  
"Oh, great. We apparently don't have enough people here, so it's not gonna seem right. Plus we already know almost everything about each other. We should just do it once we get back to Hogwarts," said Harry.  
  
"It would be so much better. Maybe we could even do that on the Hogwarts Express," said Hermione.  
  
Harry smiled. "Yeah, that'll be good."  
  
"GINNY, RON, HERMIONE, HARRY! TIME FOR LUNCH!" Mrs Weasley called from the kitchen. The four teens got up and walked downstairs. "Did you find anything to talk about??"  
  
"Not really," said Harry and Hermione.  
  
"Nothing," said Ginny and Ron. Mrs Weasley looked at the four of them, giving them a confused look.  
  
"Oh come on, sit down and eat, it's nearly two!" said Mrs Weasley. They did as they were told. Ron was the first one finished, followed by Harry, then Hermione, and finally Ginny.  
  
"Hermione, I've decided that you have to overcome your fear of heights. I'm gonna teach you to ride a broomstick," said Harry, placing his plate in the sink.  
  
"No, no, no, no, no, no! I can't! I'm too scared!" she said, putting her plate on top.  
  
"Hermione, if you don't walk outside to that field, I'm going to be forced to carry you outside!" Said Harry, a huge grin on his face.  
  
"You wouldn't dare!" she said, her hands on her hips.  
  
Harry apparently wasn't lying. He picked her up and held her like a groom would carry his bride on their wedding day. "I'm not joking," said Harry, not having any trouble carrying her.  
  
"Put me down! Harry, please! I'm even afraid to be up this high!"  
  
"Liar," said Harry, placing her feet back on the ground again.  
  
"I know!" said Hermione, smiling. She ran off, which forced Harry to chase after her. Ron and Ginny were getting the old brooms out of a shed in the back yard. Within thirty seconds, Harry and caught up with Hermione, picked her up again, and carried her outside. "Put me down! PLEASE!?" she repeated several times.  
  
"No, sorry. Ron, can I have one of those brooms??" Harry asked, referring to one of the two brooms Ron was holding. Ron gave one of them to Harry who put Hermione down but wouldn't remove his arm from around her waist. "I promise I won't let you fall," said Harry.  
  
"Harry, please?" Hermione begged.  
  
"I'm the one who should be pleading. Hermione, I promise," said Harry solemnly.  
  
Hermione sighed in defeat. "Fine. Just don't do anything to scare me," she said.  
  
"Thanks, Hermione," Harry whispered. Hermione mounted the broom, and Harry got on behind her. He kicked off from the ground as hard as he could, which sent them soaring. They must've been at least a hundred feet in the air. Hermione let out a small scream. "Just don't look down, all right. Nothing bad is going to happen. I promise," said Harry.  
  
"Harry, can you lower this thing, I'm starting to get a little worried," said Hermione, her voice shaking. Harry did as she wished. Ginny and Ron suddenly appeared next to them.  
  
"How is it, Hermione?? What do you think??" asked Ron, jokingly.  
  
"Shut up, Ron. You know that I'm terrified. Oh my God!" said Hermione, looking down. "Oh my God, oh my God. OhmyGodohmyGod," she slurred.  
  
"Hermione, breathe, all right. It's okay, nothing is going to happen," Harry said reassuringly. He felt Hermione tense up. 'I'm gonna go lower,' Harry mouthed to Ron and Ginny. He lowered the front of the broom until they were hovering only about three feet above the ground. "Hermione, look down," said Harry.  
  
She looked. "Okay, that's better," she sighed.  
  
"Is this that bad??" Harry asked.  
  
"No, but when we were up there, yes, it was terrifying. I don't want to go that high until.... never," said Hermione.  
  
"You control the broom now. But if your feet touch that ground, there'll be hell to pay," Harry promised. She looked at Harry, knowing that he wasn't joking at all. She nodded and pulled the front of the broom up, causing them to go up. Before long, Hermione started to get the feel of the broom and was going forward, up, and down. A half an hour or so later, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny were ready to go back inside. "I'm going to finish my homework. I'm nearly done," said Harry.  
  
"Ron's already finished, but I've still got Potions to do," said Hermione.  
  
"Wait, Ron's finished?? That's a miracle!" said Harry, "That's all I've got to do.... Potions." Harry and Hermione walked up to Ron's room, and worked for about an hour on the Potions assignment.  
  
¦·-·¦  
  
"HARRY, HERMIONE! SUPPER'S READY!" Mrs Weasley called from the kitchen for the second time that day.  
  
"Seventeen inches, that would have one of the shorter assignments I've written," said Hermione. Harry gaped at her.  
  
"Seventeen? That's short?! Hermione, mine's seventeen and a half and that's gotta be one of the longer papers I've written!" said Harry, putting his book, scroll, and quill back into his trunk. They walked downstairs to find Ron, Ginny, Mr Weasley, Mrs Weasley, Fred, and George all sitting at the table.  
  
"Finally, they're here. What were you guys doing that was so important??" said George.  
  
"Potions homework," Hermione and Harry said together. They sat down and began eating.  
  
"Sure you were doing your homework. Is your assignment to snog your best friend??" Fred joked, saying it only so Hermione and Harry could hear.  
  
"Shut up, Fred," they said together.  
  
"Jesus, didn't to offend you two or something," Fred muttered. The rest of their meal was spent in a loud silence.  
  
¦·-·¦  
  
"All right, everybody, time for bed, tomorrow's a long day!" Said Mr Weasley at approximately nine o'clock.  
  
"Okay, Dad," said Ginny and Ron gloomily. "Oi, Harry, I forgot to tell you. A pipe burst in Ginny's room so the girls have to stay in my room. It might be a bit more crowded than usual," said Ron.  
  
"Okay, that's cool," said Harry. They all walked upstairs and changed into their nightclothes (the girls changed first, with Ron and Harry waiting outside the door. Ron tried to peek every few moments, just to get them mad. Ron and Harry didn't mind Ginny and Hermione seeing them, probably because guys aren't as modest as ladies are). Harry, Hermione and Ginny were all in sleeping bags on the floor. Hermione had a book out and was reading. Ginny was just staring at the Chudley Cannons poster on the wall, and Harry was looking up at the bright orange ceiling. Ron had already fallen asleep, and was breathing deeply. Harry looked at Ginny and Hermione.  
  
"Harry, is something wrong??" Hermione asked quietly.  
  
Harry shook his head. "No, Nothing's wrong. I'm just looking at you and Gin," he responded.  
  
"Are you sure??" she asked.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. This is probably one of the best moments in my life. Being with the people I love more than anything, with nothing really the matter."  
  
"Good night Harry," said Hermione, kissing him on the cheek.  
  
"Good night," he whispered. The light in the room was put out and soon they were all asleep. 


	2. Two

Diagon Alley  
  
Harry awoke the next morning with the sun shining brightly in his eyes. Ron and Ginny had apparently woken up and went downstairs already. Hermione was still asleep beside him. Harry rolled onto his side, which blocked the sun, and allowed him to face Hermione. Harry closed his eyes and thought how lucky he was to have her and Ron. Six years ago, Harry told Hagrid that he wouldn't fit in at all. But now Harry realized that he fit in just fine. Life couldn't have been better. Fifteen minutes later, Harry heard Hermione move. "Harry, you're awake, I know you too well," said Hermione softly.  
  
"Yeah, I know. How did you sleep??" Asked Harry, his voice barely above a whisper.  
  
"Great, how about you??" Hermione asked reaching her arms above her head to stretch. She also extended her legs to make her body as long as possible.  
  
"That's probably the best I've slept ever. Although you did say stuff in your sleep, like 'Oh Ron I love you so much!'" said Harry, making his voice higher in pitch to sound like a girl.  
  
"I do not do that! You were like 'Oh Cho! Be mine forever and always!'" Hermione joked. They both laughed. Then somebody came in.  
  
"Good, you two are awake. Mum and Dad decided that we should probably eat at Diagon Alley. I'm not exactly sure why, but you two had better hurry," said Ron. He left them to get dressed and Harry and Hermione heard his feet walk downstairs.  
  
"Okay, you're either going to change in the closet or you're going to wait outside until I'm finished changing," said Hermione, getting up.  
  
"How about you change in the closet or you wait outside for me to get dressed. I know that you want to see me get down to my skivvies, I know you love me," said Harry, standing up, a grin on his face. Harry was almost a head taller than Hermione. Puberty had definitely hit them.... Hard.  
  
"Harry, you're so full of yourself! Fine, I'll change in the closet," said Hermione, also smiling. She grabbed her clothes, walked into Ron's closet, turned on the light, and closed the door. Harry changed as quickly as he could. He pulled a pair of jeans and a maroon tee shirt out of his trunk. Hermione emerged about a minute later.  
  
"Damn you're really quick," said Harry, buttoning his pants. He was shirtless and Hermione found it very difficult to breathe. She tried to act as normal as possible, but was failing miserably. Harry took off his glasses and pulled his shirt over his head. A moment or so later, Harry put his glasses back on again. "Are you all right, Hermione??" said Harry, knowing that she was gaping at him due to his looks from Quidditch. Although he hadn't played for about a year, he still managed to look great.  
  
"Wha- Oh yeah, I'm fine," said Hermione, blushing a deep scarlet. Harry laughed and shook his head. "We'd better get going before Ron comes up here again." They walked downstairs to see Ginny, Ron, and Mr Weasley standing by the fireplace.  
  
"Are you two ready??" asked Ron impatiently.  
  
"Yeah, we're ready to go," said Hermione. Ron stepped into the fireplace, took some Floo Powder, and he was soon eaten by the green flames. Hermione went in next, and then Harry. Finally Ginny and Mr Weasley appeared in Diagon Alley, and they were ready to buy their school supplies. Their first stop was Gringotts Wizard Bank, where Mr Weasley, Harry, and Hermione withdrew some money from their vaults. The Weasleys' fortune had improved dramatically, and where no longer as poor as sewer rats. But Harry still had a lot more Galleons in his vault than anyone else's. He grabbed about two handfuls and put them in his pocket for safekeeping.  
  
Their next stop Madam Malkin's Robes shop. They had all outgrown their robes and Mr Weasley thought it was appropriate to buy Ginny and Ron new ones. Their Hogwarts letter also implied that a dress robe was required. Ron groaned. "I hate those things. They're all frilly and uncool," he said. Harry snorted. Hermione and Ginny shook their heads in disgust. They were all measured by the short and stubby witch. They waited a while for their robes to get finished, and then they were on their way.  
  
"Is anyone getting hungry??" asked Mr Weasley after his stomach growled due to lack of breakfast that morning. Everyone nodded his or her heads. "Let's go to the Leaky Cauldron." They walked down the crowded street and into the smoky pub. "Tom, might we be able to still get breakfast??" asked Mr Weasley politely.  
  
"O' course! Why not??" said Tom, the owner of the Leaky Cauldron. Mr Weasley asked everyone what they wanted, and they all answered waffles. They were served within five minutes, ate slowly, paid, and were back in Diagon Alley at eleven thirty.  
  
"Where to now??" asked Hermione. Everyone pointed to Flourish and Blott's BookStore. It wasn't as crowded as usual, but it was difficult to find all of their books. The sixth years were required to buy:  
  
Advanced Charm Work by Wanda B. Out  
  
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander  
  
Antidotes and Other Cures by Pansy Onfire  
  
Potions for Dummies by Stupinda Azkanbee  
  
Life, Death, and Defense: and Defense Guide by Dwane Dregawny  
  
And Sticks to Stones by Phyllis McBrown  
  
"Potions for Dummies?? How 'stupinda' does Snape think we are??" asked Ron, rolling his eyes. Hermione nodded, knowing that Ron was right about Snape misjudging them. Harry laughed at his joke.  
  
"I'd guess pretty stupid. But maybe Snape has quit or something," said Harry hopefully.  
  
"Okay, Harry. But you know how he is. Not to take anyone's side or anything, but I think that the reason he picks on you is because of his life when he was at school. You remember telling Ron and me what you saw. Your dad picked on him, and your mum stuck up for him. But they still hooked up," said Hermione.  
  
"I know that, Hermione, but times change. It's called 'forgive and forget,'" said Harry, picking up a copy of Antidotes and Other Cures.  
  
"Maybe he didn't have time to forgive your dad. His life was short," said Hermione. Harry hated talking about this subject.  
  
"Must we talk about this??" asked Harry quietly.  
  
"No," said Hermione gently. "I'm sorry I pressed the matter." Hermione, Ron, and Harry quickly gathered the rest of their books, paid and waited for Ginny and Mr Weasley to finish. They all sat on a small bench outside, tired, and wanting to go home. Hermione's head rested on Harry's shoulder, her eyes closed. They seemed to be growing apart from Ron, and Harry didn't want that to happen. Ron started reading Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Ten minutes later, Ginny and Mr Weasley came outside.  
  
"Are you guys ready to go?? It's nearly two," said Mr Weasley.  
  
"Yeah, we're ready," said Harry. He gently shook Hermione. "She fell asleep." Hermione opened her eyes and slowly stood up. Harry got up as well, whom did Ron then follow.  
  
¦·-·¦  
  
"We're home!" Ginny called. Fred and George thundered down the stairs.  
  
"Hey! Um.... we want to know your opinion on this," said one of the twins. They both handed Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione a small red gumball shaped thing. "Go ahead, try it." They each slowly put it in their mouths, and then immediately spat it back out.  
  
"Water! I need water!" said Ginny frantically. All four of them grabbed a cup and chugged down a glass of water. "You're trying to kill us before we graduate from Hogwarts."  
  
"Not exactly. We just want to sell them," said Fred. "They're called fireballs. They really set your mouth on fire."  
  
"Please, don't let us be your guinea pigs any more," said Harry, starting to walk upstairs. He got up to Ron's bedroom and decided that he needed to lie down for a while. He put his purchases into his trunk, laid down, and let himself drift slowly to sleep.  
  
A few hours must've passed because the next time he looked out the window, the sun was beginning to set. Harry put his glasses on and walked downstairs to the warm and good-smelling kitchen. "Did you sleep well??" asked Hermione when he sat down next to her on the couch, looking up from her book.  
  
"Fine, thank you. Have you been reading all of this time??" He asked, yawning. Hermione nodded. "Damn, that's a long time," said Harry. He yawned again.  
  
"You must be very tired. Why did you wake up?? You could've slept 'till tomorrow morning if you wanted to," said Hermione, continuing her reading. "Anyways. It's about time for dinner. Come on," said Hermione, standing up. Harry stood up after her, and followed Hermione to the kitchen. They sat down where they had sat last night. Mrs Weasley soon put plates of food in front of them.  
  
"Sleep well, Harry??" she asked, sounding very welcoming. Harry nodded, and smiled politely. "Well, it was a long day compared to what you must've been doing all summer." The rest of the Weasleys soon came and sat down, and soon started with their meal. Approximately forty minutes later, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were finished.  
  
"Up for another round of flying, Hermione??" Harry joked.  
  
"I guess so," she said, standing up from her chair.  
  
Harry gaped at her, not believing what she had just said. "Are you kidding??" he asked, his mouth still wide open.  
  
"No. I feel more comfortable with it. But I don't know if I'm ready to do it alone," she said truthfully, a smile on her face. Harry smiled as well.  
  
"It's a excuse," Ron whispered in Harry's ear.  
  
"I heard that, Ron!" said Hermione, playfully hitting him on the arm. Ron rolled his eyes and stood up.  
  
"All right, all right. I'll be on the broom with you, but you've gotta go higher than yesterday, deal??" Harry asked, his voice rising in pitch.  
  
Hermione bit her lip for saying that. She thought a moment. "Deal." Ron and his friends walked outside, he grabbed two brooms from the small shed, mounted on, and kicked off from the ground. Harry and Hermione did the same on the other. Since Harry's legs were noticeably longer than Hermione's, he pushed off from the ground. "How high??" Hermione asked, sounding a bit frightened.  
  
"A little higher," said Harry. Hermione pulled the front of the broom up. "Higher." Hermione continued to sail the broom upward. "A little more...." She pulled up again. "That's good."  
  
Hermione looked down. "Oh my God.... OhmyGodohmyGodohmyGod!" she slurred again like yesterday. They were higher than ever before. "Harry, y-you did that on p-purpose!" Hermione choked.  
  
"Okay, go lower. As low as you want," Harry whispered.  
  
"That sounds so wrong," Hermione muttered. Harry laughed as Hermione brought them lower to the ground. "You get off this broom, you're such a back seat driver," said Hermione, breathing regularly now.  
  
"Are you sure," said Harry, is voice sounding very seductive. Hermione thought a moment.  
  
"Okay, stay on. But I'm going in soon. I'm a bit tired. Plus I want to finish my book," said Hermione. Harry shook his head and they soared up once more.  
  
¦·-·¦  
  
About an hour passed when the three went inside. It was nearly dark outside, and Ron, Harry, and Hermione were about to collapse. "I call shower!" said Hermione, running inside.  
  
"Harry, you can go before me, then I'll go," said Ron, putting the brooms away. Harry nodded in agreement.  
  
"Ron, are you all right. You seem very distant lately," said Harry once they got up to his room. Hermione was humming to herself in the shower, which caused Ron and Harry to laugh a bit.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine, I just can't stop thinking of Laven- I mean. Yeah, I'm fine," said Ron, turning the color of his hair.  
  
"Lavender Brown. You like her??" Harry asked, his eyes widening. Ron regretted what he had said and turned even brighter than before.  
  
"Yeah. I kinda asked her out before term ended. I've been sending letters to her all summer, and she's replied all of them so far...." Ron said. Harry smiled. A moment or so later, Hermione game into the room, her hair dripping at the ends, and wearing pajamas. Harry got up and walked out to the lavatory. He turned the shower on and stepped in. He let the warm water pour on his body, which calmed him. Harry quickly washed his hair, and then got out of the shower. He wrapped a towel around his waist and walked back to Ron's room.  
  
"Your turn!" Harry said to Ron as he entered the room. He got up from his bed and left the room. Harry crossed the room and grabbed his pajamas from his trunk. "I'll go change in the closet," he said, winking at Hermione. She laughed. Harry walked into the closet and put his boxer short on as well as his pajama pants. He then walked out.  
  
"Must you do that??" asked Hermione, looking up from her book.  
  
"Do what??" Harry asked innocently.  
  
"Come in without your shirt, trying to make me breathless, succeed, and...." Hermione trailed off. Harry smiled.  
  
"I must be very attractive or something," said Harry jokingly. Hermione shook her head and smiled slightly.  
  
"Like I said before. Harry, you're so full of yourself!" said Hermione. Harry sat down next to her, still shirtless. "Please stop...." Hermione pleaded. Harry merely smiled again.  
  
"Sorry, I can't. It's really hot. How else will I be able to cool off??" asked Harry.  
  
"Why don't you go outside or something??" Hermione suggested.  
  
"Hermione, it's hotter outside than it is it here. Remember, air conditioning," said Harry, winking. Hermione shook her head.  
  
"Well, I've finished my book," Hermione announced when Ron came into the room.  
  
"What book were you reading??" Harry asked curiously. Hermione handed him the book. "Cirque du Freak?? I heard those were good," said Harry.  
  
"You should read it. I think you'd like it," said Hermione. "Well, I'm going to bed, I don't know about you two," said Hermione, zipping her sleeping bag up. Harry did so as well, that is, after he put his shirt on for Hermione's sake.  
  
"G'night you two," said Ron, climbing into bed.  
  
"See you in the morning," said Harry.  
  
"Good night, Harry," said Hermione. For the third time in the past two days, Hermione kissed his cheek again. 'Something isn't normal about her,' Harry thought. He closed his eyes and fell asleep.  
  
A while later, Ginny must've come in, because Harry had woken up and saw a tall red haired person walk in. "G'night, Gin," he whispered.  
  
He saw her smile. "G'night, Harry," she said back. Harry smiled and drifted to sleep once again. 


End file.
